August 17, 2025 | 10:26 am
The Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Zuhair Al-Shun, attended Indonesia's 80th Independence Day celebration at Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta on Sunday, August 17, 2025. Zuhair expressed his honor to be present alongside President Prabowo Subianto and the people of Indonesia in commemorating the 80th Independence Day.
He also hoped that Indonesia would always remain united and prosper in its 80th year of independence. "So I am very happy to be with you this morning. Congratulations on this great opportunity. I hope Indonesia will always remain strong, united, and continue to develop," he said on Sunday.
However, Zuhair declined to comment on Prabowo's plan to evacuate residents of Gaza to Indonesia. He waved his hand indicating his refusal to answer.
On April 9, Prabowo announced the plan to evacuate a thousand Gaza residents to Indonesia. The announcement was made before Prabowo departed for the Middle East to seek approval for the evacuation.
Subsequently, the plan resurfaced in early August. The Head of the Presidential Communications Office, Hasan Nasbi, stated that the government was preparing Galang Island in the Riau Islands Province as a place for treating Gaza refugees.
Hasan emphasized that the evacuation was not relocation but an effort by the government to provide medical and humanitarian assistance. He mentioned that Galang Island was chosen because it was separate from residential areas.
"Because it used to be a refugee center, but also used as a Covid treatment center at that time. So, in terms of security and comfort for the residents, it is very manageable in that area," Hasan said during a press conference at his office in Central Jakarta on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
However, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Anwar Abbas, criticized the plan. He stated that the plan to evacuate Gaza residents has been the desire of the United States and Israel for a long time.
According to him, although the Indonesian government mentioned that Gaza residents treated on Galang Island would be returned to Palestine, the issue is not that simple. "The question is, will Israel and the United States be willing to accept the return of Gaza residents?" said Anwar in a written statement received by Tempo on Monday, August 11, 2025.
He argued that Indonesia's way of evacuating Gaza residents has the potential to create other problems in the future. For example, there is no guarantee that the Gaza residents who have been treated will agree to return to Palestine due to the ongoing conflict there.
He believed that the Indonesian government would be better off providing treatment directly in Gaza or in border areas not far from Palestine. "I think they will also agree because they are still being cared for alongside their relatives, family, and homeland," said the Chair of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah.
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